Toasted Sesame Soba Noodles w/ Vegetables + Crispy Tofu
- I made this the other night and it was light and clean, but still tasted delicious. Went great with the Wasabi mashed potatoes, (made regular mashed potatoes, extra creamy, and added 1 teaspoon of Wasabi powder to them when adding the milk). For Amish, I added a a grilled chicken on the side, so for a meat option, I would add a grilled fish or grilled chicken.
- Ingredients:
- an 8-ounce package soba (buckwheat noodles)*
- 1/2 of a cucumber, cut in thick slices, deseeded
- 1 asian pear, cut in thin slices
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- a 1/2-pound piece firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry, hard edges trimmed, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 carrots, cut into 1 1/2-by 1/4-inch sticks
- 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps sliced thin
- 4 scallions, sliced thin (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted lightly
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- sea salt for seasoning, to taste
Directions:
In a 6-quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for noodles.
Peel and cut pear into matchstick pieces. Cut the cucumber into thick slices, deseeded.
In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add garlic, then over moderately high heat brown tofu. Transfer tofu with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and season with salt and pepper.
Add carrots to skillet and sauté, stirring, until just tender and golden brown. Transfer carrots with slotted spoon to a bowl. Add to skillet remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, mushrooms, scallions, gingerroot, and pear and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are tender. Add cucumber and saute for few minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in carrots.
Cook noodles in boiling water until al dente. Drain noodles in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water. In a large bowl toss noodles with 2 teaspoons sesame oil.
Return skillet to moderate heat and add 1/4 cup water, tamari or soy sauce, vinegar, and remaining teaspoon sesame oil. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring, until hot. Add noddles, tossing to combine and adding more water if necessary, and cook until heated through. Season noodles with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and serve warm topped with tofu and sesame seeds.
